Pontotoc High School standout commits to NEMCC baseball

BOONEVILLE – Northeast Mississippi Community College head baseball coach Kent Farris has added the ninth athlete to his 2013-14 recruiting class.

Farris got Pontotoc High School standout Hayden Cummings to commit to the Tigers during a ceremony held at the high school.

“He is a tremendous young man who brings a lot of versatility to our squad for next fall, said Farris.”

Cummings has been a pivotal cog in the lineup for the Warriors under former Pontotoc head coach Phil Webb and current Warrior coach Casey James.

“Hayden comes from a wonderful family and an outstanding high school program with tons of baseball tradition that has produced several former Tigers such as Nick McGregor, Nathan White and Blake Littlejohn,” Farris said.

During his four years in a Pontotoc uniform, Cummings helped the Warriors post a combined 57-24-1 during his freshman, sophomore and junior season and Cummings currently has the Warriors at a 14-8 mark during his senior campaign.

Cummings, a 6-1 170-pound infielder/catcher, is currently hitting .302 for Pontotoc with a .457 on base percentage and a .429 slugging percentage. The Pontotoc senior has knocked around 19 hits including two doubles and a pair of home runs for James’ Warriors.

Cummings has also been a threat on the bases for the Warriors with 20 runs scored and after a combined five stolen bases in his sophomore and junior seasons, Cummings has swiped five bases for the Warriors during his final year.

During his junior year, Cummings hit .397 with a .478 on base percentage and had a .577 slugging percentage for Webb’s Warriors.

On the year, Cummings bashed out 11 doubles and a collected a home run in his final game of the year – a 9-1 win over Shannon.

Cummings scored 20 runs during his junior year while driving in 25 – including a five-RBI day against Saltillo on March 14, 2012.

As a sophomore, Cummings hit .333 with a .350 on base percentage and had a .462 slugging percentage. In 2011, Cummings collected 13 hits in 39 at bats while driving in 10 and scoring 10 as well.